Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving is a holiday that comes once a year, but thanksgiving is something we should do each and every day. I am sitting here in the quiet of my office on this eve of Thanksgiving and it is easy to think of all the things that I have to be thankful for. We are so incredibly blessed to live in this country with our rights and freedoms.

Here in the Flint Hills it is easy to be thankful for all that God has created. I am so blessed to know where my food comes from and to be part of the patchwork fabric of farmers and ranchers who produce that food. Each morning I am allowed to breath the fresh, clean air of the land and look across the native grass prairie and remember why I love this land. I am so thankful of the animals I tend to and the crops I grow. Thankful of the food produced, the wholesome nutrition it provides and ultimately the security that food gives us.

I am thankful that I have the freedom to chose my own path, to pray in my own church and the opportunities each of us have because of where we live. I am thankful for those who gave up so much so I could live safely and comfortably. I am also ever mindful and thankful for those who are insuring that safety and comfort even now and risking their own lives.

I am grateful for a country where we have an abundance of food on our store shelves. I am so thankful for the technology at my fingertips both in my professional and personal lives. Those advances help maintain our place as the most developed country in the world. I am thankful of the infrastructure that allows us to easily travel and the commerce it encourages.

Free speech and the ability to express my thoughts without worry is another thing I am thankful for. We live in a country were we can disagree and not worry about the consequences. I am thankful to live in a country where I have the right and the ability to get involved in the government. I can vote without worry and have a say in the laws ruling our land.

All of these freedoms are because of the agricultural foundation of our country. Without food and fiber a nation cannot advance and prosper. It is no coincidence that our day of Thanksgiving is centered around a feast. Our forefathers could not have developed this great nation if they had constantly worried about hunger.

As we sit down to our meal tomorrow I would suggest the following. Let us be in prayer for those who sacrificed and are sacrificing their lives and well-being for our freedom and ours safety. Let us be grateful for those who pioneered the advances in technology that allowed us to prosper. Finally, let us be thankful for the abundant food and agriculture that forms the foundation of our nation and the security it provides.